Turbo-machines are widely used in industrial and commercial operations, and generally include a compressor, a combustion assembly, and a turbine. A working fluid, such as air, may be brought in to the compressor, compressed, and directed to the combustion assembly as a pressurized working fluid. At least a portion of the pressurized working fluid is mixed with a fuel and burned in the combustion assembly to generate hot combustion gasses. The hot combustion gasses are directed to the turbine of the turbo-machine, where energy is extracted from the hot combustion gasses.
The performance of a turbo-machine depends in part on a temperature that may be sustained during operation of the turbo-machine without damaging components such as the blades in the turbine or certain combustor components in the combustion assembly. Certain of these components may be formed of various metal alloys designed to withstand heightened temperatures. However, the maximum sustainable temperature of the components is still far below the temperature associated with a stoichiometric combustion process.
In certain turbo-machines, the maximum sustainable temperature of certain components is increased by allocating a portion of the compressed working fluid from the compressor for cooling such components. For example, compressed working fluid may be diverted around one or more combustors of the combustor assembly and/or may be diverted through cooling passages in the turbine. The cooling passages may carry the relatively cool compressed working fluid through the turbine blades to maintain the blades within an acceptable operating temperature range.
However, certain issues may arise with such a construction. For example, the working fluid may contain debris, such as foreign particles originating outside the turbo-machine, or domestic particles—including rust, dirt, and/or dust—originating within the turbo-machine. The particles may get caught the cooling passages and block airflow to, for example, the turbine blades. Blocked airflow in the cooling passages may lead to damage of certain components or unplanned outages to unclog and clean the cooling passages. Prior turbo-machines have included various air filtration methods to filter the working fluid prior to it entering the compressor of the turbo-machine. Additionally, dehumidification methods may also be employed when the turbo-machine is not operating to minimize an amount of rust generated within the turbo-machine.
However, the known methods may not capture all foreign particles in the working fluid, or prevent all domestic particles from entering the working fluid. Accordingly, a system for reducing the amount of foreign or domestic particles in the working fluid of the turbo-machine would beneficial. More particularly, a system for capturing foreign and/or domestic particles in the working fluid would be particularly useful.